52: Chapter 52 Defeating Lu Chuan!

In an instant, shouts erupted within the Martial Arts Arena, and the clanging of clashing weapons echoed incessantly.

Blood Qi surged, bringing gusts of strong wind that fluttered the youths' sleeves.

Qin Yan stood with his arms crossed, quietly observing the matches in the field.

At first, he found it somewhat novel, as he could see the different fighting styles and martial art patterns of various people.

But soon, he began to feel a hint of boredom.

Most of those currently taking the stage to fight were still students who had not yet entered the Martial Artist realm.

Their blood qi bursts were weak, and their Martial Arts Skill levels were low.

In his eyes, they were full of openings, making it difficult to pique his interest in watching.

He shook his head slightly, no longer wasting energy on these battles.

Instead, he found a relatively quiet corner, leaned against a pillar, and slightly closed his eyes.

He needed to adjust his state and focus his essence, energy, and spirit to their peak.

His heart was as clear as a mirror—today, it was impossible for him to remain uninvolved.

As the eleventh rank and a newcomer who had only recently broken through to become a Martial Artist,

in the eyes of those "senior" Martial Artists who had long since entered the realm and whose strength had greatly improved after a month of bitter cultivation,

he was undoubtedly a worthy "stepping stone."

Challenges would inevitably come.

Time passed amidst the clamor.

About fifteen minutes later, a clear voice filled with fighting intent pierced through the noise on the field.

It reached Qin Yan's ears clearly:

"I challenge the eleventh rank, Qin Yan!"

Qin Yan snapped his eyes open, his gaze calm and devoid of surprise.

He looked toward the source of the voice and saw, on Arena No. 3,

a student with a tall, straight posture holding a bright silver long spear.

The student was looking in his direction with burning eyes.

What was meant to come had finally arrived.

Qin Yan said nothing, only silently picking up his own long spear.

He stepped onto the arena with steady strides and stood opposite the challenger.

"Freshman rank fourteen, Lu Chuan."

The spear-wielding youth cupped his fists and introduced himself, his gaze sharp.

The blood qi around him surged faintly, showing a decent foundation.

"Qin Yan, eleventh rank."

Qin Yan responded concisely, saluting with his spear.

The confrontation between the two immediately drew a large number of gazes from below the stage.

Although the previous battles were lively, the top experts had not yet truly made their moves.

"Finally, a good show is starting!

This is the prelude to a duel between experts!"

"Who do you think has a better chance of winning, Qin Yan or Lu Chuan?"

"Is that even a question? It's definitely Lu Chuan!

I heard from his roommate that Lu Chuan just completed his fourth Skin Tempering last night!

His blood qi has surged; he's aiming for the top ten of the grade this time!"

"Qin Yan only broke through to Martial Artist after entering the school, right?

Although he's progressing fast, facing Lu Chuan who has four Skin Temperings, I'm afraid..."

Discussions from below the stage drifted over, with clearly more people favoring the more established Lu Chuan.

At the edge of the arena, the Referee saw that both were ready and, without further delay, announced loudly:

"Begin!"

"Please advise!"

As soon as the words fell, Lu Chuan's eyes flashed with sharp light as he launched the first attack!

He exerted sudden force with his feet, making the arena floor shake slightly as his body shot out like an arrow from a bow.

The bright silver long spear in his hand tore through the air.

With a sharp whistling sound, it thrust straight toward Qin Yan's face!

The spear wind was fierce, demonstrating his solid Spear Technique foundation and surging blood qi.

This strike was fast, accurate, and ruthless, causing many students below to cry out in surprise.

However, facing this swift and violent blow,

Qin Yan did not dodge or even change his posture much.

At the very moment the silver spear tip was about to reach him, he moved!

Holding his spear with his right arm, he gave his wrist a sudden jerk, and the long spear in his hand seemed to come alive.

Striking after the opponent but arriving first, it carried a heavy and overbearing aura, like a giant dragon sweeping out fiercely!

There were no complex flourishes, only the purest power and speed!

*Clang—!*

The two long spears collided violently without any trickery, producing a piercing metallic screech!

The expected stalemate did not occur.

The moment they collided, the confidence on Lu Chuan's face suddenly froze, replaced by utter horror!

He felt an irresistible, mountain-like force surge through the spear shaft.

His entire arm went numb, and he could no longer hold onto the spear!

*Hum—!*

The bright silver long spear flew out of his hand, tracing a helpless arc in the air.

With a *clatter*, it fell to the ground.

Lu Chuan was completely stunned, standing frozen in place with his mind blank.

He never imagined that after completing his fourth Skin Tempering and gaining a massive boost in blood qi,

he would be defeated in such a crushing manner in the head-on clash he was most proud of!

Qin Yan did not pause for a moment; his combat instinct drove him to follow up on his advantage.

The tip of his long spear traced a cold, sharp light in the air.

Finally, it stopped steadily an inch away from Lu Chuan's neck.

The cold metallic breath made Lu Chuan's hair stand on end.

The area around Arena No. 3 instantly fell into an eerie silence.

The students below who had been discussing heatedly earlier all had their mouths wide open.

They watched the scene on the stage in stunned silence, where the winner had been decided in a flash.

Instakill! It was an outcome that was nearly an instakill!

"This... how is this possible?!"

"Hasn't Lu Chuan undergone four Skin Temperings?

He couldn't even take a single strike?"

"This Qin Yan... how strong is his blood qi exactly?

How can his strength be so great?!"

Not only were the students shocked,

but even Instructor Lin Jian, who had been watching the progress of the matches from the rostrum, had a flash of unhideable surprise in his eyes.

"Good kid..."

Instructor Lin Jian murmured to himself, his knuckles lightly tapping the armrest of his chair, "The speed of this strength improvement is truly astonishing."

He had seen many geniuses.

He wouldn't be surprised if the monsters in the top ten New Students completed two or three Skin Temperings within a month.

This was because most of them came from families with a long heritage, and their Body Tempering Martial Art foundations were already deep.

But he knew Qin Yan's background; he had only truly started systematically practicing Body Tempering Martial Art after entering the school.

To be able to temper his physical body to the point of crushing an opponent with four Skin Temperings in such a short time,

this was not something that could be achieved just by piling up resources.

His talent and comprehension were simply absurd.

On the arena, the cold spear tip snapped Lu Chuan out of his immense sense of defeat.

His face turned various shades of pale before finally settling into a weak sigh.

He spoke with difficulty: "I... I admit defeat."

"Thank you for the match."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yan decisively withdrew his long spear and gave Lu Chuan a slight nod.

He then turned and calmly walked off the arena under the gaze of many complex emotions.

He knew that the purpose of establishing his dominance in this battle had been achieved.

Crushing a challenger with four Skin Temperings in such an absolutely dominant manner

was enough to make many people who were harborng lucky thoughts and eyeing his rank reconsider whether they wanted to invite such trouble.

This would save him many unnecessary hassles.

Sure enough, in the following selection matches, the battles on the arenas became increasingly intense.

Almost all were collisions between Martial Artists.

Blood qi surged and martial arts were frequently displayed; the level of excitement was far beyond what it was at the start.

But Qin Yan was never challenged frequently again.